The best shops in Newcastle’s Eldon Square shopping centre have been recognised at the first awards ceremony of its kind.

The first intu Eldon Square Retailer Awards were held at the weekend at Newcastle’s new Crowne Plaza Hotel, with more than 110 retailers vying for prizes in 11 categories voted for by the public.

Winners included John Lewis, the Apple Store and Next.

Event organiser Daniel Errington-Barnes, retail liaison coordinator at intu Eldon Square, said: “This was our first ever Retailer Awards Celebration and we couldn’t have hoped for a more successful evening.

“We wanted to reflect the outstanding contributions our retailers make to intu Eldon Square, and to give them resounding thanks for providing such fantastic customer service to the 36m visitors we welcome each year.”

Womenswear store of the year was won by New Look, while menswear store of the year was won by Topman, whose brand manager Lee Hogg said: “When I heard our name announced as menswear store of the year, I was blown away.

intu Eldon Square Retailer Awards 2015 (Image: Tony Hall Photography)

“We came tonight with no expectations, but really to see how this new event would pan out. We all adored the evening – not least because we won this important category – but because it was such a glamorous affair, and we enjoyed getting together on a social level with other retailers.”

Other prizes include Schuh winning footwear and accessories store of the year, Pandora winning jewellery store of the year and Nandos being named best food and drink outlet.

Beauty store of the year was Boots, Apple was named top specialist store, Lush was named the centre’s small store of the year and Next best large store.

HMV was Eldon Square’s newcomer of the year and John Lewis won prizes for best customer service and also for its corporate responsibility and environmental commitment.

John Lewis’ operations manager Tracy Tait said: “The team from John Lewis was really thrilled to accept both of these awards. Attention to excellence in customer service is one of the many reasons John Lewis is so highly regarded by the public.

“The partnership firmly believes that commercial success is directly linked to being a good corporate citizen and all partners work hard to address these responsibilities. It has been great to enjoy this fantastic occasion with fellow retailers – we were sitting on the same table as Pandora and cheering each other on as we won awards.”

Eldon Square’s centre manager Phil Steele said: “The Retailer Awards competition has certainly created a real buzz amongst our retailers, and I’m delighted that so many shoppers have wanted to have their say.

“This is a brand new event for us, so it is fitting that it took place at a brand new hotel in the heart of the city, the recently opened Crowne Plaza, which turned out to be an amazing venue. The awards were a great way for our retailers to join together in a competitive yet unifying occasion! We had a lot of excited and proud nominees on the night, and once the awards were over, there was plenty of time to party.

“Plans are already afoot for next year’s awards ceremony, which will be open to over 3,500 staff working at intu Eldon Square. On the back of this year’s success, and bearing in mind that the 324 tickets for this event sold out in less than a week, in 2016 we’re going to need a bigger room.”